Branchwater with Steven Maus

Steven Maus
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595451913
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (12/07)

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Synopsis: In the kingdom of Branchwater, the humans have peacefully lived alongside their guardians, the mantliks, for the last seven hundred years. But that changes one morning when they wake up to find a foreign army encamped outside the castle town.

What follows is a gripping story of several young friends human and mantlik and how they come together to survive. Facing an onslaught like no one imagined, the two races must stand side-by-side on the walls of Branchwater, bracing themselves for the future. As the siege commences with lifted shields and drawn bows, the children hide deep inside the castle. It is the young Desirae who wanders through the inner halls and down into the basement. What she stumbles on below the castle could mean either salvation for Branchwater or its destructive end.

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Adopted Paws with Lauretta (Retz) Reeves

Eight years after moving to South Florida, Retz met Randy Reeves, and Bo-Jo -his adopted Chow chow. Taking place in South Florida and the Florida Keys, Adopted Paws is the story of the animals they adopted - Bo-Jo, Lucky, Petey, Samantha, Cali and the heroine of the story, Molly, who was a victim of feline AIDS - and other animals who ran through their life and sometimes into their neighbor’s yard.

Retz Reeves
PublishAmerica (2007)
ISBN 9781424169412
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (10/07)

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Viral Change: The alternative to slow, painful and unsuccessful management of change in organizations

Most of conventional change management programmes fail. One of the reasons is that these conventional approaches are mainly focused on changes in processes and systems, with the assumption that these will lead to change in people s behaviors. However, this assumption is wrong: people often continue to do things like before or, after an initial peak of so-called adoption , initiatives fade. The author states that there is no lasting change unless it is true behavioral change and this is hardly a by-product of new processes . In other words, it is not until people in organizations change behaviors that we can claim that actual change has occurred.

Leandro Herrero
Meetingminds (2006)
ISBN 9781905776016

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Fitness Kills: A Nora Franke Mystery with Helen Barer

Nora Franke is a New York food writer stuck in a rut. Hoping to get rid of a broken heart (and the extra pounds that came with it), she accepts a job as a menu consultant at an elite fitness ranch in Baja. With any luck she’ll shed the weight, make some friends, and maybe even find a way to get over her ex-lover.But Nora soon finds that there’s more than just yoga classes, morning hikes, and liquid fasts among the flowers and herbs—someone’s put murder on the menu, and unless she can solve the mystery of who’s behind the death of two of the guests, Nora may just be the next victim.

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The Wolf’s Torment - S. G. Cardin

The Wolf’s Torment

S.G. Cardin
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595417339
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/07)

“The Wolf’s Torment” takes you into Moldavia in the 1800s.  Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen is engaged to wed Theresa, a woman of royal blood, whom he has never met.  He has also just discovered that his lover is pregnant.  When he learns that she has been deceiving him about her feelings for him, he tries to shut his emotions off.  Returning home to Moldavia, and trying to do the right thing, he takes her with him to live near the castle.  He also brings his trusted friend Viktor with him.

When he meets his future bride, he realizes that she is a true treasure.  Neither he nor his bride is aware that she comes from a lineage of witches.  Still she seems to have some magical talents.  This disturbs Mihai, because his mother was killed by a witch.  When Viktor is bitten by a werewolf, he turns to Mihai for help.  Viktor complicates matters by having feelings for Theresa.  At times he finds himself unable to control the animal in him.  He also begins losing his humanity.  He is no longer someone to be trusted.
          
S.G. Cardin has created a wonderful werewolf story.  She also involves witches and vampires. In this book, werewolves have special and complicated ties to vampires and witches.  Moldavia is rich in supernatural lore.  Placing this story here, adds to the mysteriousness of the country.  The plot involves intriguing elements that include deception, greed, lust, and betrayal.  The key characters Mihai and Theresa are honorable and have good hearts.  What makes the story really interesting is how the people around them commit heinous acts to try to deceive them.  They catch themselves falling into traps set for them.  Sometimes it is too late.
          
I really enjoyed “The Wolf’s Torment.”  It is refreshing to read a novel that is different from the standard supernatural tales.  Taking away the supernatural elements, the underlying story is still really interesting.  Cardin puts you inside the heads of her characters and makes you feel their torment.  I look forward to the sequel.  Do not miss this one.

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Former State Senator Stephen Wiley Expresses Life Through Poetry

Like the mockingbird, poet Stephen B. Wiley tells of what he has learned in a full and generous life. His “repertoire” is wide and varied - inspired by the places and people he has loved, the small pleasures of nature, the joys and sorrows that visit us all and the stories of those he has met along the way in a life that has spanned more than three-quarters of a century.As he did in Hero Island, his first acclaimed collection of poems, Wiley shows us the world we live in and the simple acts of living with a fresh and observant eye. Come with him to watch the circles that ripple on Foote’s Pond or gaze in awe at the cherry tree, as magnificent as a Botticelli, when it comes into full bloom. Or share his bemusement as he contemplates the design and functioning of his elbows.

Mockingbird Come Home
Stephen B. Wiley
Oasis Publishers (2007)
ISBN 0976625113

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Best of Friends with Sherry Brantley

Meet the “Fabulous Five:” Elizabeth–Going back home for her mothers’ funeral. Will she be able to “keep the peace,” or will she succumb to the depths of negative behaviors she left behind years ago? Kim Worthy–An optimist who prefers to start people off with an “A” and hopes they don’t earn an “E” in her record book. Will dating Dale lead to another dead-end romance? Kiona Stone–A sassy woman, who has spent her life using men for what pleasures she could derive from them. Will she now share a life with Wayne? Or will she decide she likes her lifestyle to remain fancy-free? Angela Jackson–AJ thought she’d married the perfect mate. Until she discovered he had a severe case of OBP-Obsessive Behavior Pattern. With this discovery, what will she do? Quineeta Davis–The quintessential single woman of the 90’s. She discovers she may want, but not necessarily need a full-time relationship. Now faced with the possibility of breast cancer, will she decide that one is truly a lonely number?

Native American Prophecies Manfesting - Hollow Bones by Stephen Paul

On November 23, 1993, Native American prophecy was fulfilled when a delegation representing the North American indigenous peoples addressed a gathering at the United Nations. As Spirit had directed, the Native American leaders delivered the prophecies of their spiritual leaders, warning that a long-predicted time of purification was already under way.

The tribal leaders urged that we heed The Creator’s original instructions to the indigenous peoples and voluntarily return to a more simple, respectful, and harmonious way of living. They warned that should we choose to ignore this message, erratic weather patterns, earth movements, starvation, violence, and war would occur with ever increasing frequency and intensity. When you read the morning paper of watch the evening news, you are witnessing the unfolding of those predicted events.

Hollow Bones takes place in a not-too-distant future when the purifying changes predicted by Native American spiritual leaders are well under way. Matthew’s life has unraveled since the death of his wife. Now, with Hope and her young daughter, Lily, he embarks on a journey in search of a new beginning. Along the road, the travelers encounter the harsh realities of a failing culture and the sheltering kindness of strangers whose vivid dreams mark a shared lifetime with Chief Joseph and a two hundred-year-old oath they made to return and fulfill Native prophecies.   

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A Song for the World: The Amazing Story of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen: Musical Diplomats

Award-winning author Frank McGee has compiled this remarkable story of “A Song for the World” from hundreds of letters, documents and scores of interviews. This is the story of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen, musical diplomats to the world.

The book details the careers of these men, which spans a period of over fifty years.  As entertainers, and song writers they demonstrated courage, commitment and vision leaving behind the comforts of home, promising careers, and budding romances to introduce a new concept for changing the world through the power of music. They touched the lives of millions of people, worldwide, with their songs.  Their songs are written in dozens of languages and dialects. 

The format of the book is eye-catching in design with hundred of photos, giving detailed descriptions of the location, the events or persons.  The text includes important side bars for emphasis of important details. Each chapter contains a song, poem or composition written by one of the men.

I personally enjoyed the “The Amazing Music History Quiz” at the end of the book which highlights some of the early audacious adventures of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen. I also appreciated the complete index and bibliography included.

Working with “Up with the People” the team traveled six continents. They faced the dusty roads of India, the revolution in the Congo, the strife in Ireland, and the closed door of China. They presented a message of hope and peace. The “Up with the People” team produced the half-time show for four Super Bowls, viewed by over 90,000 million people on television.

“Up with the People” worked with 20,000 cast members from over 60 countries over a period of forty years.  They performed in Munich, Madrid, Watts, Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Moscow, Beijing, and numerous other important locations and national and international events.

Direct quotes from Herb Allen, Paul, Ralph, and Steve Colwell reveal the depth of their dedication, and sacrifice to the cause of peace. The book is a tribute to these four men and the cause for which they dedicated their lives.

Frank McGee’s writing is crisp and descriptive.  The book has a natural flow which includes historical events, musical diplomacy, and examples of organizational leadership.

McGee’s writing is informative, interesting, and compelling.  “A Song for the World” is a book for anyone who wants to impact change in today’s world.

Frank McGee
Many Roads Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9780978794804
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (7/07)

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